News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-13
MRS. CUNNINGHAMS DEATH
THE WOMAN WHO WAS TRIED
FOR THE MURDER OF DIR
BURDELL,
She Married Man Named Williams
in California, but was Deserted
by Him-She I'd in her Niece,s
House in Harlem.
From the n. Y. Sun.l

The Mrs. Cunningham of the famous
| Burdell Bond street murder case is to
! be buried to-day from the residence of
| her niece, Mrs. Phoebe Morrell, at 321
! East 10th street. 1t is as Mrs. Emma
| A. Williams-that she is known in death.
and her connection with the tragic event
and the celebrated trial in which she
figured, was so many years ago that her
history was known to very few of those
who knew her latterly. Mrs Morrell,
of course, knew the whole story, but
her family that has grown ilf5as<.--s these
occurrences had been kept in ignorance
of it. Even now she breads the public
ity which her dutiful care of her aunt's
remains entails, though she advertised
the death because she thought it proper
to give any friends that might desire it
an opportunity to see the body.
"No one has any doubt now of the
poor woman's innocence said Mrs.
Morrel last night. ''She was acquitted in
court, and time has shown the iustness
of the verdict. She survived her
troubles thirty years, and died Christ
ian death. 1t is hard that she should
be pursued in her coffin by the story Of
that awful accusation, and the know
ledge of it forced upon those from
whom it has been so carefully kept"
Mos. Williams died on Tuesday hay
ing been in this city about a month on a
visit from her home in lower California.
She was last in New York some four
years ago, and on that occasion was rec
cgnized on the Brooklyn Bridge and her
story was printed in the papers. She
herself bought one containing it, with
out knowing of it until confronted by
the head lines, After her disappearance
from New York some years ago she went
to California, where her daughters were
married. She became the wife of Wm
Williams, man of wealth i'll stocks and
bonds and mining properties. He left
her, taking all the stocks and bonds,
and his whereabouts are still unknown.
The mining property, the "Muleje Cop
per Mines,'' that he could not carry
away she has since attempted to dispose
of in whole or in part, but has had
higher estimate of their value than was
supported by the reports of the experts
who examined in behalf of the prospect
i've purchasers. She bel eyed herself to
be wealthy woman, but it is doubtful
if her estate will prove of any value.
She was nearly 80 years old.
The murder of Harvey A. Burdell at
81 Bond street on the night of Jan. 30,
1857, was one of the most famous crimes
ever committed in this city, and the
trials of Mrs. Cunningham and John j.
Eckels, who were arrested in the case,
were among the most celebrated of muir
der trials. A. Oakley Hall co15 5uctedthe
prosecutiOn. and John Graham, then the
most famous criminal lawyer, managed
tbe defence. Burdell was dentist and
had the parlor and an adjoining small
room, and Mrs. Cunningham occupied
-I.,U oI thei. ry.yz Iryt, 's,,,l Jiers
Among them were Eckels and a Mr..
Snodgrass. On the night of the muir
der terrible storm ragged, hut through
it all passers by heard piano music and
banjo playing from the Cunningham
house until far into the night Mrs.
Cunningham three daughters and
Eckels and Snodgrass were enjoying
themselves. But they heard nothing,
as they repeatedly testified, that could
be supposed to have any connection
with the killing. One witness was
found who testified to hearing a cry of
'mur--" as he was passing the house
that he did not understand or pay any
attention to until the discovery of the
crime was made known. Another witness
testified that Eckels had ordered him
from the marble stoop when he stopped
there to tie his shoe.
The murderwas discoveredin the morn
ing. Burdell's body was found on the
floor. There were many knife wounds
in it, but the fatal cut was in the neck.
There was no clue to the perpetrator of
the crime OF indication of the motive for !
- e. =
the fact that large number of letters |
and papers had been burned in the |
CRATE, evidently after the killing, as some
sparks remained alive when the body |
was found. There were blood marks in |
the hall and on the stairs, bat the storm
rendered it impossible to trace whether
they disappeared by way Of the roof or
by the front door. The testimony of |
what was heard outside the house, and |
the positive denial of anything having
been heard inside, threw suspicion upon
the inmates. Capt. George W. Dilks, |
recently retired as an Inspector, arrested
Eckles and Mrs. Cunningham. They
were tried separately and acquitted.
The tremendous popular interest aroused
by the crime continued while they were
in the Tombs and throughout the excit-
ing trials.
After her acquittal Mrs. Cunningham
claimed to have been married to DR..
Burdell, and sued before the Surrogate
for share in the estate. As part of
this scheme she pretended to have a
child which she said the doctor was the
father of, but it was proved that she had
procured the baby at the almshouse and
had it smuggled into her house after she
had taken to her bed. She failed to Sc
cure anything by this suit The Bur
dell case and the unsatisffa550rv nature
of Chief Matsell's work in it was one of
the principal arguments used in Albany
that winter for the passage of the bill
breaking up the municipal police and
instituting the metropolitan police sys-